Electrical connector device



R. B. BENJAMIN. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 05012.1919.

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Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

UNITED STATES 1,431,622 PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRICMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE.

Application filed December 12, 1919. Serial No. 344,301.

generally used. To obtain the same light mg power with low voltage, asis obtained with the higher voltage circuits, it is necessary that thetranslating devices used -(such as lamps, heaters, and so forth) be oflow resistance so that a high amperage is necessary. Therefore, whereplug-indevices are to be inserted into receptacles, this high amperageat the point of connection would burnout the-contacts unless a-quiok 26and positive connection is made between the plug and receptacle.

It is therefore one object of my invention to provide 1 improved meanswhereby a quick and positive connection is provided .30 between theseparts, thereby preventing arcing and burning out of the contacts.

Another object of this invention 'isto provide an improved connectordevice which is so constructed as to form a compact and 8.5 neatarrangement of parts and which will be simple, cheap to manufacture,durable and eflicient in use. p

I Further objects will appear from the detaileddescription and appendedclaims. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of aconnector device showing the parts in their relative position beforeengagement;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector device with theparts in engagement; \Y

ig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the directionof the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.. Y 1

",In order to give. a general idea of the 5,5 invention. it is herestated that the constructively, electrically connected with the wirtionshown comprises a receptacle 10 having a pair of wiring terminals 11 and12 for the feed wires and two pair of spring contact devices 13-14= and15-16 respecing terminals respectively, for engagement with the contactblades 17 and 18 mounted on the cap 20. An insulated pin 19 is embeddedin the cap 20 which insulated pin extends between an upwardly extendingspring finger 21 and the contact finger 15. As shown in Fig. 1, thecircuit will not be completed upon firstengagement of the blade 17 withthe contact fingers 13 and 14 due to the fact that the spring contactfingers 15 and 16 are separated to a greater 'extent than the width ofthe blade 18 circuit will be completed. The constructionof' the fingersengaging the insulating pin is such that they orm a substantial yieldingresistance to the insertion of the plug-in device whereby the operator,upon meeting thisresistance, will give an energetic push on the cap tofurther insert the blades 17 and 18 and cause a quick electricalconnection between the contacting members, thereby completing thecircuit.

To give a more detailed description of my construction, the receptacleportion.l0 comprises a -base portion '26 to. which the wiring terminals11 and 12 and. spring contacts 13, 14, .15 and 16 are secured and acover portion 22 having a recess 23 into which the spring contactmembers extend, and having restrictedopenings 24 leading to the recess,said openings providing a passage for the contact blades of the plugindevice. The binding plates 11 and 12 are secured in recesses 26 and 27in the insulating base 26v by screws 28 and threaded into said platesare the binding screws 29 by which suitable conductors may 110 sis.

be securely held. The binding plate 11 has an upturned portion 30 whichhas riveted thereto the two spring contact fingers l3 and 14 which arepositioned to engage the contact blade 17. The contact fingers 15 and 16and the central finger 21 are bent at right angles at their lower endsand are held between the binding plate 12 (which may be a flat metalstamping) and the insulating base 26 by the screws 28 which secure thebinding plate 12 on the insulating base. The central finger 21 andcontact fingers 15 and 16 are slotted substantially intermediate theirends whereby a connecting member 31, which may be a suitable metalstamping, may be inserted in said slots passing through the slot in thecontact finger 15 and engaging the central finger 21 and the contactfinger 16 to connect these two last mentioned members to cause them tomove together, the contact finger 15, however, being independentlymovable with respect to the fingers 21 and 16 and the connecting member31. The central finger terminates in a curved portion which en gages acorresponding grooved portion near the end of the insulated pin 19whereas the contact finger 15 is formed into a hook at its upper end.

The cover portion 22 is secured to the base member by means of longscrews 32 (Fig. 2)

- which are screwed into suitable bushings embedded in the insulatingbase of the receptacle. A recess23 is formed in the cover into which thecontact fingers and the central finger extend. Suitably located in saidcover portion to afford an entrance for the contact blades and aninsulated pin for engagement with the spring fingers are the re strictedopenings 24.

The cap-20 comprises an insulating base 32 which has the contact blades17 and 18 mounted thereon The blades are secured to said base by meansof screws 33 threaded into bindin plates 34 which are integrally formedwitfi, said blades and bent at right "angles thereto whereby they lie ina horizontal plane (Fig. 4). The binding screws 35 are threaded intosaid integrally formed plates 34 and securely hold suitable conductors.The insulated pin 19, as before mentioned, is embedded in the insulatingbase 32. The cord grip bushing 25 is threaded into a correspondinglythreaded portion in the insulating base and has an aperture therein forthe passage of suitable conductors.

The use and operation of the construction described herein is asfollows: When the plug-in device is to be inserted into the receptacleportion, the insulated pin is inserted in the central slot of the threeslots 24 until it engages the central finger 21 and the contact finger15. The contact blade 17 will also engage the contact fingers 13 and 14at the central finger 21 and the hook port-ion this time but noelectrical circuit will be completed due to the fact that the contactblade 18 is not in engagement with the contact fingers 15 and 16 whichare separated as shown in Fig. 1. At this point of initial engagement, asubstantial resistance is encountered before the circuit is completed,the encountering of this resistance by the operator causing him to givea quick and energetic push of the plug-in device for further insertioninto the receptacle portion. The result of this action will be to insertthe contact blade 17 between the contact fingers 13 and 14 and theinsulated pin 19 between of the contact finger 15 which action will drawthe contact finger 16 inwardly due to its bein connected with thecentral finger 21 by t e connecting member 31 and the finger 15 will bemoved outwardly whereby the contact blade 18 will be received betweenthe fingers 15 and 16 to electrically connect the blades and contactlingers and complete the circuit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A connector device comprising a plugin' portion and a receptacleportion, said plug-in portion comprising an insulating base, a contactblade and a pin, said pin and blade being supported by said insulatingbase, and said receptacle comprising two contact fingers between whichsaid blade extends, and a third finger between which and one of said,contact fingers said pin extends and a connecting member connecting oneof said contact fingers to said third finger to prevent relativemovement between the connector fingers, whereby When said plug-in 105portion is inserted, the pin will separate the members between which itis inserted to force the fingers between which the blade is insertedagainst the blade.

2. A connector device comprising a plug- 110 in portion and a receptacleportion, said plug-in portion comprising an insulating base, contactblades thereon and a pin, said pin and blades being supported by saidinsulating base, and said receptacle compris- 115 ing a plurality ofcontact fingers between .which said blades extend, and a central pleted,but upon further insertion of the plug-in. device, the in will separatethe members between wl iich it is inserted to force the fingers betweenwhich one of the blades is inserted against said blade to complete thecircuit and form an electrical conmotion between the plug-in device andthe receptacle.

3. An electrical connector device comprising a plug-in portion and areceptacle portion, said plug-in portion comprising an insulating base,a pair of contact blades and a pin, said blades and pin being insulatedfrom each other by said insulating base, said receptacle comprising aninsulating base, a pair of contact devlces for cooperation with saidcontact blades respectively and a resistance device or offeringmechanical resistance to the entry of said pin, an insulat ing cover forsaid contact devices and resistance member, said insulating cover beingrecessed to receive said contact devices and resistance member, saidinsulating cover being provided with a pair of openings for the entranceof said blades for engagement with said contact devices, and beingprovided with another opening for the entrance of said pin forengagement with said resistance member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. REUBEN B.BENJAMIN.

